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Clarinets Jason’s Professional metal clarinet

Colin the Bear

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Got a chance of a metal clarinet. Wanted one for ages.

I can't find any trace of the make.

It's a Jason's professional. Made in USA. Full bohem system. Serial K630. One piece with separate barrel.

I've got it in bits at the moment for a clean, oil and repad. I'll try and get some pics up.

I think some one has had a go at restoring it and given up. Looks like stainless needle springs with tension all over the place. Would they be original?

Any ideas what it might be?
 
Never heard of it. Most stencil metal clarinets are beginner instruments and pretty awful but with it being a full boehm there's a chance it's something decent.

Old Buffet serial numbers are in that format but but it can't be if it's made in the USA.
 
It's cleaning up easily and very nice. Seems well made and well designed.

Wating for pads now. I thought I had a full set in the drawer. Not a one to be seen. Isn't that always the way.:confused:
 
Mine's really nice - branded "Sioma, Paris", but apparently this was a trade name of Burns music shop (in London I think) in the 1930s. It's not worth a lot (I paid well under £100 for it quite a few years ago) but the keywork feels much nicer to play than my "proper" clarinet (1956 B&H Emperor). It's a one piece body with removable bell, and a threaded tuner like on some Conn saxes.

People say metal clarinets are only good for lamp stands (and it would make quite a good one I admit), but I reckon it's far too good for that.
 
I've got three metal clarinets and one metal bass clarinet.

The bass and one of the Bb soprano clarinets were made of aluminium alloy in the 1960s by Uebel and are similar to their more well-known aluminium flutes.

One of the other Bb clarinets in branded "Dubois" (ironically "of wood" in French) and the final one is a very nice King metal clarinet.

I'm no clarinetist but really like all of these instruments.

Good luck with yours.

Rhys
 
I have a couple of metal clarinets, maybe even three... One one them I overhauled with limited success. It plays, but I'm no clarinetist, so ... And my son was never really interested in my projects when he was playing the clarinet. I still like the looks of them. So one day I will...
 
A couple of pics of mine if anyone's interested.
P2120694.JPG
P2120695.JPG
 
I'm happy with it now. It played a little before I stripped it.

Does yours have stainless springs?
 
Mine was in pretty much perfect playing order when I bought it (in 1998 apparently - doesn't feel like that long ago) - I think I replaced one or two pads that were dead (it's got a random assortment of white and red pads on it) but apart from that I've not had to mess about with it.

Not sure about the springs - I think they're the normal black/blue type, but I'll have a look this evening.
 
I thought it should have blued needle springs. They're not pretty but work very well.

I'll have to take nothing for granted and set up everything from scratch. I hate following some one elses work. Easier to start from original. Still, what else would I be doing? ;)
 
Of course, I can't say for sure that the springs on mine are original - it's nearly 90 years old after all. At least some of the pads had been changed before I bought it (because they're a mixture of leather and paper) but other than that I suspect it's pretty much as it should be. Mechanically it's in such good order that I reckon it was probably put in the back of some ex military band member's wardrobe in the 50s and discovered a few decades later - it's either been fairly lightly played or very well maintained. A few dings in the bell suggest it was in regular use at some time in its life though.
 
I thought it should have blued needle springs. They're not pretty but work very well.

I'll have to take nothing for granted and set up everything from scratch. I hate following some one elses work. Easier to start from original. Still, what else would I be doing? ;)
I read with interest. My old clarinet prof had some old ebonite clarinets in his cupboard and advocated that if the cheap metal clarinets for the marching band market hadn't given them a bad name then they should be better than wood - fast to warm up for a start when doubling. What do you think - if Buffet or Selmer put their mind to it?
 
I read with interest. My old clarinet prof had some old ebonite clarinets in his cupboard and advocated that if the cheap metal clarinets for the marching band market hadn't given them a bad name then they should be better than wood - fast to warm up for a start when doubling. What do you think - if Buffet or Selmer put their mind to it?

I think that Ridenour currently make clarinets from hard rubber (ebonite). There are some interesting thoughts on materials on their website the grenadilla myth

For instance
Hard Rubber vs Grenadilla

In my own clarinet design experience I have had the rare opportunity to design clarinets in Grenadilla wood, Rosewood and Hard Rubber. It has been an eye opening, almost shocking experience. What I have found to be consistently true is when a well-made hard rubber clarinet is compared to a Grenadilla wood clarinet sharing the same acoustical design, the hard rubber turns out to be the unequivocal better in every respect: tone, tuning, response, sweeter high tones, stability and consistency in manufacture.


Hard Rubber is Natural

The fact is, too many people operate on the unexamined assumption that hard rubber us just like plastic. But the truth is that hard rubber is not at all like the plastics used for clarinet building. It is not accurate to equate high grade, natural hard rubber clarinets with synthetic, plastic clarinets.

Why?
For one thing, hard rubber is not synthetic at all, but just as natural as any piece of wood in any forest. Hard rubber comes from the very essence of the tree, being its' life blood. Besides being natural, it is superior to plastics in every possible respect. Musically speaking, pure, natural hard rubber clarinets possess many critical playing and tonal qualities that are almost identical to those of Honduran Rosewood; more so than any other material presently used for clarinet making, including Grenadilla wood!

Comparing Grenadilla and hard rubber clarinets from a pragmatic, logistical standpoint, hard rubber clarinets are consistently more stable, more uniform from clarinet to clarinet, take and hold much more precise and uniform bore dimensions, and are virtually crack-free. On the acoustical/aesthetic/performance side, well-made, well-designed, high quality hard rubber clarinets have quicker response, more even blowing resistance, better, more stable tuning, a darker, sweeter tone and are coloristically much more stable throughout the full pitch and dynamic range of the clarinet. In short, hard rubber clarinets give you the best of both worlds, satisfying the logistical needs of the manufacturer and the artistic needs of the clarinetist.

Rhys
 

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